The present invention relates generally to heating methods and devices, and more particularly, to methods and devices for substantially maintaining an average heating temperature over a period of time without the aid of a temperature sensor. The present invention will be described primarily with regard to a cooking grill which has or is connected to a source of fuel. However, it should be recognized that the methods and devices of the present invention may be used for or in conjunction with practically any apparatus which is adapted to provide heat.
Fuel-connected devices including, but not limited to, cooking grills may include a burner, a conduit for conveying a fuel to the burner, and an igniter adapted to ignite the fuel at the burner. The fuel may be natural gas, propane gas, or practically any other fuel that may be ignited to provide heat. The fuel may be supplied from a metered house supply or a portable, refillable storage tank.
In order to control the heating temperature of known fuel-connected devices, the amount of fuel flowing to the burner may be varied so as to adjust the strength of the cooking flame. The problem with this method is that the cooking flame may be undesirably extinguished at low flow rates. Unignited fuel will continue to flow to the burner even if the wind or other means extinguishes the flame. In addition to wasting fuel, this condition may also present a safety hazard.
Known fuel-connected devices may also control the temperature by cycling the burner based on data from a temperature sensing device which is fed to an electronic control assembly. Nonetheless, this method requires a temperature sensing device, and it is unnecessarily complex. In addition, it may require associated assembly and inventory costs as well as parts failure and warranty costs.
Devices having an electric heating element may also use a temperature sensing device to monitor the heating temperature and to provide data to a control circuit for use in adjusting the power supplied to the electric heating element. Again, this unnecessarily complex method requires a temperature sensing device. Likewise, this method may require associated assembly costs, inventory costs, costs due to the failure of parts, and warranty costs.
In light of the shortcomings of the known art, a need exists for a method and apparatus for controlling the heating temperature of a flame without making the flame susceptible to being undesirably extinguished. A need also exists for a method and apparatus for substantially maintaining an average heating temperature of a flame over a period of time without the aid of a temperature sensor. Still another need exists for a method and apparatus for adjusting the power supplied to an electric heating element in order to substantially maintain an average heating temperature over a period of time without the aid of a temperature sensor.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention satisfy some or all of these needs. One preferred embodiment provides a method for substantially maintaining an average heating temperature over a period of time without the aid of a temperature sensor. This method involves an apparatus which has an ignition device that is adapted to ignite a fuel. The apparatus may be a cooking appliance and/or practically any other device that is adapted to heat something. The fuel may be natural gas, propane gas, or practically any other fuel that may be ignited to provide heat. Conveyance means are provided for receiving the fuel from a source of the fuel and conveying the fuel to the ignition device. A valve is interposed on the conveyance means between the ignition device and the source of fuel. In order to substantially maintain the average heating temperature over the period of time, the valve is opened and closed in a predetermined pattern such that at least a portion of the fuel conveyed to the ignition device is ignited.
This method may further comprise a control circuit in electrical communication with the valve. The control circuit is preferably adapted to open and close the valve in the predetermined pattern. The control circuit may include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or practically any other device which has similar processing capabilities. The control circuit also preferably includes a memory device which is adapted to store at least one predetermined pattern for opening and closing the valve in order to substantially maintain at least one average heating temperature. The control circuit is preferably adapted to recall from the memory device the predetermined pattern to substantially maintain the average heating temperature over the period of time. In addition, the method may further comprise an input device in electrical communication with the control circuit such that a user may enter a desired average heating temperature, food type, weight of food, and/or practically any other relevant data. With some or all of this information, the control circuit may select an appropriate pattern of opening and closing the valve to substantially maintain the desired average heating temperature over the period of time.
Another method for substantially maintaining an average heating temperature over a period of time without the aid of a temperature sensor also involves an apparatus which has an ignition device that is adapted to ignite a fuel. The apparatus may be a cooking appliance and/or practically any other device that is adapted to provide heat. The fuel may be natural gas, propane gas, or practically any other fuel that may be ignited to provide heat. In this method, the fuel is intermittently conveyed to the ignition device in a predetermined pattern such that at least a portion of the fuel conveyed to the ignition device is ignited and the average heating temperature is substantially maintained over the period of time. This method may further comprise providing conveyance means for receiving the fuel from a source of the fuel and conveying the fuel to the ignition device. A valve may be interposed on the conveyance means between the source of fuel and the ignition device. The valve is preferably adapted to open and close such that the fuel is intermittently conveyed to the ignition device substantially in the predetermined pattern.
A control circuit may be provided in electrical communication with the valve. The control circuit is preferably adapted to open and close the valve such that the fuel is intermittently conveyed to the ignition device substantially in the predetermined pattern. The control circuit may include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or practically any other device having suitable processing capabilities. The control circuit may also include a memory device which is adapted to store at least one predetermined pattern for opening and closing the valve in order to substantially maintain at least one average heating temperature. The control circuit is preferably adapted to recall from the memory device the predetermined pattern of opening and closing the valve to substantially maintain the average heating temperature over the period of time. An input device may be provided in electrical communication with the control circuit such that a user can enter a desired average heating temperature, food type, weight of food, and/or practically any other relevant data. The control circuit may use some or all of this information to select an appropriate pattern of opening and closing the valve to substantially maintain the desired average heating temperature over the period of time.
The present invention also provides a method for substantially maintaining an average heating temperature of an apparatus which has an electric heating element over a period of time without the aid of a temperature sensor. The apparatus may be a cooking appliance and/or practically any other device that is adapted to provide heat. This method adjusts the power provided to the electric heating element in a predetermined pattern such that the average heating temperature is substantially maintained over the period of time.
A control circuit may be provided in electrical communication with the electric heating element. The control circuit is preferably adapted to adjust the power provided to the electric heating element. The control circuit may include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or practically any other device having suitable processing capabilities. The control circuit may also include a memory device which is adapted to store at least one predetermined pattern for adjusting the power provided to the electric heating element in order to substantially maintain at least one average heating temperature. The control circuit is preferably adapted to recall from the memory device the predetermined pattern of adjusting the power provided to the electric heating element to substantially maintain the average heating temperature over the period of time. In addition, an input device may be provided in electrical communication with the control circuit such that a user may enter a desired average heating temperature, food type, weight of food, and/or practically any other relevant data. Using some or all of this information, the control circuit is preferably adapted to select an appropriate pattern of adjusting the power provided to the electric heating element to substantially maintain the desired average heating temperature over the period of time.
The present invention also includes an apparatus for substantially maintaining an average heating temperature over a period of time without the aid of a temperature sensor. The apparatus may be a cooking appliance and/or practically any other device that is desired to heat something. This embodiment of the apparatus comprises an ignition device which is adapted to ignite a fuel. The fuel may be natural gas, propane gas, or practically any other fuel that may be ignited to provide heat. Conveyance means receive the fuel from a source of the fuel and convey the fuel to the ignition device. A valve is interposed on the conveyance means between the ignition device and the source of fuel. A control circuit is in electrical communication with the valve. The control circuit is adapted to open and close the valve in a predetermined pattern such that at least a portion of the fuel conveyed to the ignition device is ignited and the average heating temperature is substantially maintained over the period of time.
The control circuit is preferably microprocessor-based, microcontroller-based, or has other suitable processing capabilities. The control circuit may include a memory device which is adapted to store at least one predetermined pattern for opening and closing the valve in order to substantially maintain at least one average heating temperature. The control circuit is preferably adapted to recall from the memory device the predetermined pattern to substantially maintain the average heating temperature over the period of time. The apparatus may further comprise an input device in electrical communication with the control circuit such that a user can enter a desired average heating temperature, food type, weight of food, and/or practically any other relevant data. The control circuit is preferably adapted to use some or all of this information to select an appropriate pattern of opening and closing the valve to substantially maintain the desired average heating temperature over the period of time.
Another embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention comprises an electric heating element and a control circuit in electrical communication with the electric heating element. The apparatus may be a cooking appliance and/or practically any other device that is desired to heat something. The electric heating element is adapted to generate heat. The control circuit is adapted to adjust the power provided to the electric heating element in a predetermined pattern such that an average heating temperature is substantially maintained over a period of time without the aid of a temperature sensor.
The control circuit is preferably microprocessor-based, microcontroller-based, or has other suitable processing capabilities. The control circuit may include a memory device which is adapted to store at least one predetermined pattern for adjusting the power provided to the electric heating element in order to substantially maintain at least one average heating temperature. The control circuit may recall from the memory device the predetermined pattern of adjusting the power provided to the electric heating element to substantially maintain the average heating temperature over the period of time. In addition, the apparatus may further comprise an input device in electrical communication with the control circuit such that a user may enter a desired average heating temperature, food type, weight of food, and/or practically any other relevant data. With this information, the control circuit is preferably adapted to select an appropriate pattern of adjusting the power provided to the electric heating element to substantially maintain the desired average heating temperature over the period of time.